Lemon-Lime Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Look at what I found at Trader Joes!

Yummo!  I had to rip open the box as soon as I got to the car to try one of these little yummy cookies.  I love Meyer Lemons!  They were just light and crispy and you could have 2 and not feel guilty at all.  Then I got to thinking.  

I have so much of that lime sherbet left over from my Watermelon Push-up Pops, Ooohhh, AND I have vanilla ice cream too!  I could make Ice Cream Sandwiches!

Okay, so lets set them up and get a piping bag ready.

Then my BFF said, I could swirl the two.  Okay, I can do that.

Alright, so it is not as easy as it sounds.  You have to work FAST, only do a few at a time, and get them in the freezer after a few, then keep going.

These were my first ones, I made the next batch fatter with more ice cream using no tip on my piping bag.

This is what happens when the ice cream starts to melt because your hand is warm at the top and the ice cream is still hard at the bottom.  Basically as you try and squish the ice cream out, some of the melted ice cream squirts and makes a mess.  Not sure I have any pointers for you, just go FAST! If you don't go FAST you get a soggy cookie and it sticks to your paper.  

If you don't go fast the worst that happens is you have to eat the messy frozen glob of cookie and ice cream that did not turn out cute.  (Rough I know.  I had 2 kids sacrifice themselves by eating some of the messy globs.  Selfless and courageous, yup, I am lucky to have such kids.) 

Well, even after the mess I still came up with cute sandwiches and they were a big hit with my family that came for a visit from Chicago.  :) Not only are these delish, they were also low cal.  A nice cool summer treat.  

Chocolate Chip Push-up Pops

I needed another Teacher Gift for the end of the year.  I wanted to go simple and easy.  I have been doing other baking and crafting for other little events and things that have been going on.  So, I pulled out that cute Push-up Pop Book that the evil-lovable genius Bakerella got me hooked on. 

Lily and I got to baking.  The book has it's own recipe for the chocolate chip cookie dough, but I just used my favorite Toll house recipe.  It never fails me and it is my favorite.

It took some time to smear out the dough to cover the whole pan, but I finally finished and tossed it in.  Once  the cookies are made you just cut them out with one of the push-up pop molds.

Then I made just a regular vanilla frosting from scratch.  I didn't have a tub and I didn't want to go get one, it is just as easy to make frosting.  Any Vanilla frosting would do.  Now, the next time I make these I want to add pecans to the cookies and then make a butter pecan frosting or a pecan buttercream, something just totally yummy and BAD for you.

This just takes time to get used to.  I frosted the bottoms of the pops, sprinkled mini-chocolate chips and then a cookie circle, repeat.  Some I got 4 layers some I got 5 layers.  Either way, super cute, something simple as a sweet parting gift for the end of the school year.

I tossed a quick little tag that said thank you on with some ribbon and brought them to the teachers.  School is finally out!  Yay, for the end of June!  Yay for the end of the school year.  Bring on Summer Vacation!

Pink Monkey Flower Birthday Party?

I am just now getting back to posting.  I have a feeling that no matter how good my intentions are, I will never really stay current with this blog (or any).  But, I can sure tell you that my heart and mind want to. I think we all do so much already, some things just fall in the cracks.  I guess I'd rather make the little cutesy things, give them away or bake away than talk about it.  (Or show it.)  So now you all know, I am not Little Ms. Blogger, or photographer, I am just a Mom that wears a million hats and tries to get it on a blog when she can.

So....

Pink Monkey Birthday Party? 

My daughter (Lilypad) really wanted pink monkey cake pops for her Birthday. She also wanted flowers and Pirates and a Pinata.  Oh, and she told me she wanted the bounce house and popcorn.  Alrighty then!  She is one of a kind.  She loves many things and wants to be able to have it all and all at once, not caring if it matches or not.  She is just a treasure to me.

                                                                         Monkey!

IT RAINED!

The bounce house did not happen.  But, the painting party DID happen.  The girls got a heart shaped box and the boys got a treasure chest.  So cool!  I ordered enough and Lily was able to have one of each.  This was awesome!  We hired this gal Sandy from KlayKids. LOVE her!  We know Sandy from my kids school where they take the extra curricular ceramics class.  We originally were going to have the kids paint outside and bounce house it up, but because of the massive rain storm we had, be brought it inside.  Thank goodness for having a big living room with wood floors.

                                         Big Brother Noah working on his Treasure Chest.

                                Lily's BFF Nathan.  This has to be the nicest boy I have ever met.

                  Great Family Friends, I love that Dad got in there and helped.  I love these guys.

                                                     Birthday girl with her treasure chest.

                                       Sweet girl from school.  This is the flower box, isn't it cute?

Then we had the pinata in the garage.  We went with a flower pinata.  Beating a flower is much easier on the psyche than a beloved pink monkey.

                                                            Birthday Girl taking a swing.

                                              This little one was the toughest of the bunch!

                                                                Big brother and his turn!


Then, we had the cake pops and cupcakes.  I went lazy with the extra cupcakes.  I used my cricut to cut out a flower template and then used colored sugar to make the design.  Then of course no Pink Monkey Flower Birthday Party can be complete without Pink Monkey Cake Pops.

 Let's not forget the popcorn!

Finally, a moment of heart filled pride for my baby girl. Shortly before my girl turned 4 a young girl in our community died of cancer.  But, before she did, she started up an AMAZING gift of joy to children all over the world called Joy Jars, where she encouraged children to NEVER EVER GIVE UP.  (NEGU)  We had been hearing about this little girl, praying for her and Lily said she wanted to do something or give something to the little girl who died.  So, we asked all of our invited guests to bring toys to fill Blessing Boxes to fill Joy Jars for NEGU instead of gifts.  We were blown away by the generosity of our friends.  Thank you for your love for Lily and your generosity to these kids.  Lily had a great 4th Birthday Party.

                                                                       Thank you!


 

Tartlette's

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.  We have so much that goes on on Tuesday's and my hubby usually works late on Tuesday's so we decided to make tonight the night we have a lovely Valentine's Dinner (with the kids of course.)  I just spent hours making the salad and the main course and I had raspberries and these little tartlettes in the  pantry.

I read the instructions on the box and was like, I don't have any of this stuff.  Then my friend Holly came over and said, hey do this...

...so I did!

First I melted white chocolate to coat the bottom of the tartlettes.

I got a little help.

Then my friend Holly said, 'hey, you can make your own lemon curd.'  I had never seen it in a store let alone thought of making it myself.  So, she said,' here, try this one and you can even make it in the microwave!'  So, I did.  Thank you Holly! 

It is just seriously cool that I made this and now have it in my fridge for future use. 

Then I filled the little tartlettes up with the lemon curd and my helper put the raspberries in.  She kinda pushed them a bit harder than necessary, but hey, what can I say, she isn't even 4 yet.

Then, I did another thing I have never done before.  I melted a little bit of jam. 

Coated the raspberries with it.  

Then I was done.

So, this...

Turned into this...

Cute right?

I can't wait to taste them.  I imagine they are pretty yummy.

Now, off to get dinner set up and waiting for my dearest husband, best friend and most awesome Daddy to our children.

Oh, speaking of children, while Lily and I were making these lovely tartlettes,

 Noah was doing this...

This is a rare sight, this little man is usually all over the place like a crazy dude.  

Looks like he needed a snooze.